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9 comments:

This blog is so fantastic and I am so hoping that you might be able to offer me some advice with my situation.

I have a 10 week old boy who I have been trying to "gear up" for cio since 7 weeks - up until then he would only sleep in my arms and I would let him feed whenever he woke up. Since then we worked on feeding only every 3 hours, then every 4 and in between in the bassinet only. However, during those feedings he was barely eating at all (maybe 2 minutes) and then falling back asleep. So I kept making the feedings less and less and now he only gets one feeding any time he wakes up after 3 am. BUT - he still wakes up a lot in the night and cannot fall back asleep. I go in and give him his pac and jiggle the bassinet, and sometimes that gets him back to sleep - other times I have to pick him up and pace with him (this is how I soothe him to sleep) - it never takes more than 10 minutes to get him back to sleep, and he always stops crying when I pick him up - so I still don't think he's hungry (do you that's a correct assumption?) but when I put him back in the bassinet he will only sleep for max another 45 mins stretch and often only a 15 minute stretch and then we do it again and again - I have tried to let him cry for 10 mins or 15 mins but it seems he is just getting started then! ALSO - he is swaddled now (and as I said uses the pac) and when I have experimented with putting him down unswaddled he wouldn't even sleep for more than 5 minute without wailing, and then I can pick him up, soothe him relatively easily, but the second he goes back in wailing again. Also, right now I put him down asleep, and after nursing (same time every night, we have already started the bedtime routine) and he sleeps from around 7:30ish until at least 10pm sometimes 12am until the constant periods of waking/soothing intervals occur until I feed him any time he wakes after 3am.

So my questions:When I start cio and him down at night sleepy but awake, should I do it unswaddled to break the habit even it means he will cry for at least 1 hour (and I dread for 2 or more) (I am afraid to do it swaddled because when he cries he fits himself out of it and then there is a loose blanket in his crib)

Should I only do cio in the falling to sleep and still soothe him when he wakes in the night except for the feeding time?

I read somewhere on your site that someone went in every 30 minutes to pick them up until they stopped crying and then put them back down - will this interfere with cio because he knows he'll get picked up eventually?

Do I cut out swaddle and pac cold turkey at this young age? Or is there a possibility that cio won't work if he isn't "ready" - I have no idea how to tell if he is "ready" or not?

So sorry to bombard you with questions - I would so appreciate your feedback and I am going back to work in 3 weeks and was really really hoping to having him sleeping through the night before I went back (I am fine just feeding him that one feeding still - but can't take this soothing every 15 minutes from 11/12 - 2/3 each night for much longer.

Sorry this was so long and conveluted! I tried to give all the info you would need to answer my questions the best you could. Thanks again for your input and for your great blog.

Thank you for answering...but I actually got started with night time cio before I read your comment. I thought I would post a follow-up for the benefit of anyway who happens upon this blog and might find it helpful. It went extremely well. I did it unswaddled...because I was just so worried about the lose blanket issue - and he is doing really well. Not up to completely no crying yet, but there is very little crying and much more sleeping and a couple nights so far of no crying or fussing all night. 6:45 pm - 6ish am) I am 11 nights into it...still haven't tackled naps....but it was definitely the right decision to let him figure out his night time sleeping.

I just attempted CIO for the 2nd time...we had done CIO when DS was little (1 week) and he had done great. Then came Month #4...and a weekend trip to Grandma's...and waking every 2 hours for the last 3 weeks...where I would go and feed him and he'd eat, he is a 20lb 4 month old! So I figured it was because he was hungry. (I read where Val had treated early waking from naps as a hunger issue...it morphed into eating every 2.5 hours all night long!)

My husband and I talked and I was at the point of seeing elephants in pink tutus...So 2 nights ago, I fed him and put him to bed at 7:30pm. Well...3 times he woke that night. the 1st time cried for 1 hour, the next time 3 hours, the next time after that 2 hours....needless to say, he was exhausted...I know...it sounds cruel, but we had to do something. But last night...we put him to bed at 5:30pm, he woke twice, cried for 1/2 hour each time and then slept...and I dream fed him at 11:00pm. He made it to 6:00am and woke up HAPPY!

I think CIO continues...is this incorrect? I still can't get him to take longer than 1 hour naps. but maybe if we work backwards from nighttime sleep to day time...it will help? Anyway...I'm just so happy that we all slept last night!!!

Hello, I've got several questions as well. We did BW with our daughter who is now 7 years, and had the best experience. She slept through the night at week 8 (started at week 2) and is always happy, well rested, growing at her full potential and very secure of herself. We now have a different situation. Our son who we adopted since birth was low weight, and will only handle 2 to 3 oz at a time of formula. Which means he us eating every 3 hours, sometimes he's hungry at 2.5 hours. We are pretty much taking turns through the night to watch his sleep and make sure he's not too cold or hot, his pacifier is in, and that he feels we are there. He is now 3 weeks and I know that the longer we wait to CIO the harder it will be, but someone did tell me to consider his situation and type of pregnancy. It must has been a rough time not being planned, and later not hearing his birthmom. We are to the point where he recognizes me and calms himself with me. I don't want to loose that and make him feel abandoned again. CIO seems so much more difficult with him, and I wouldn't know if it is hunger, dirty diaper, or gas. Help! What advice do you have?